“Building a Water Quality Trading Program” walks through 11 key elements many trading programs consider in their design, with examples, options, and clear pros and cons for program design to help stakeholders build a program that meets local needs. For each of these elements, there is no “one size fits all solution.” Instead, there are considerations that make different options more or less viable under different conditions.

Water quality trading programs are still evolving and must adapt to ever-changing circumstances and requirements, so this is a “living” document, open to additions and updates.